Yellow Brick Road
by Miztsi
Summary: College AU with a twist. Under some unconventional methods, Lukas Bondevik finds himself sent through time, back to his University years in 1965. There, he is given the opportunity to relive his youth, correct past mistakes and perhaps take a chance with a certain Danish boy. However, there's something sinister about the ploy and it may be too late to pull out. DenNor & others.
1. Telstar

**Yellow Brick Road - Ch.1**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia**

**Warnings:** **Many historical inaccuracies. I was not alive during the 60's/70's/Cold War era, nor am I an expert of the history during that period. I will do as much research as I can, but there will be inaccuracies. There will also be many grammar/spelling mistakes. You are more than welcome to point them out.**

**Some scenes may be tear-jerkers. There's also possible trigger warnings for homophobia and bullying throughout the story, which I will warn at the beginning of each chapter. Otherwise the only really explicit content is swearing.**

**Finally, there are characters that are sort of OC's. This is mainly because I didn't want to completely vilify any of the canon characters in fear of offending someone and their main purpose is to be completely unlikable. The only exception may be Lukas' mother, who technically is an OC as well, but she's not featured very prominently and is only there to push the plot along.**

**Pairings: DenNor (main), and knowing myself, there will be a good dose of SuFin too. There might be others as well, but it won't be focused on too much. **

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_**September 2015, The Outskirts of San Francisco, USA.**_

_Someone was at his porch. _

In all honesty, the man in question couldn't be bothered enough to answer the door. Except the insufferable person on the other side had been persistently ringing his doorbell for the past minute and it seemed they had no intention of giving in, anytime soon.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," muttered the stoic Norwegian, when the noise had irked him just enough to pull himself away from his seat. He winced, as a wave of pain shot up his leg from the endeavor. Clutching his cane, he maintained his balance again by exerting his strength on the metal stick.

Even with the help of his trusty cane, walking was still a struggle. Mentally cursing, the man staggered with each step. He was much too old for this nonsense.

It took an exuberant amount of effort to simply get to the other side of the room, where the front door was located. Eventually, he succeeded through small, wiffle movements.

"Good morning, sir. Are you Lukas Bondevik?" He was greeted by a strange man who dressed in all black. Every item of clothing he wore - from the top of his head to the soles of his shoes were the same obsidian color. On his face, a pair of sunglasses obscured his eyes.

"So what if I am? What is it to you?" The Norwegian responded to the man, whom he dubbed Mr. Black.

"I have some important matters to discuss with you, Mr. Bondevik. If yo-."

The faintest hinge of a scowl crossed his impassive expression. "I already agreed that I will be moving out this afternoon. You can tell that peevish landlord to get the fuck off my back." He turned away grumbling about the aggravating waste of time. It was then, a strong grip haltered his attempt to slam the door shut.

"Wait! Mr. Bondevik! This is not about your impending eviction. If you will just give me a second to explain my offer, please."

Irritated by the persistence, he conceded. "Fine. This better be important then."

The dark-clad man cleared his throat before continuing. "Mr. Bondevik, I am an agent of the United States Government. It is my pleasure to inform you that you've been selected to participate in our new experiment."

"I'm sorry." he redressed, although his tone was devoid of any apology. "As you can see here, I'm not very well and lack the time and energy to participate."

His companion didn't seem tethered by the response. "That's no problem at all. In fact, we are looking for someone exactly like you, Mr Bondevik. In compensation for your participation, not only will you be well paid, all your medical expenses will also be taken care of."

Lukas wasn't sure what exactly possessed him to follow the man. It certainly wasn't the insistence, or perhaps huge bluff, that he was given a once in a lifetime opportunity to partake in an experiment so extensive and tremendous, it had the potential to alter the entire course of human history. Truthfully, he had stopped caring about such matters years ago. The mere thought of it made him inwardly scoff. Society had never been kind. His whole life, as far back as he could remember, had been a struggle. It was a ceaseless battle of trying to make ends meet, as well as the subject of constant ridicule and prejudice. In return, he could say without the faintest hinge of hesitation, that he did not give a single damn about what happened to anyone or anything around him, and quite frankly, he couldn't care less about the human race or the entire planet in general.

The generous paycheck did somewhat help draw him towards the offer. For Lukas however, it was less of a motivator than perhaps compared to any other individual, who would have leapt at such a substantial amount of money. Contrary to his rationale, Lukas couldn't even _pretend _he wasn't treading in deep water and in desperate need for such funding. The root of his apathy stemmed from the fact that at the current state of his decrepit life, he would much rather allow himself to wither away peacefully, without the stress of further work or worries.

What solidified Lukas's decision was the realization of just how miserable and lonely he had become. He would bet that had this Mr. Black turned out to be an axe murderer, bent on leading him like a defenseless sheep to his ultimate demise, not a single soul on earth would notice his absence - and if his body were to ever be found, nobody would know or care enough to come to his funeral. No, he didn't have a single being he could even call a mutual acquaintance, yet alone a friend. The last person to show any interest in his wellness was Emil, which reminded him that it would be an excellent time to pay a visit to the cemetery, as it neared the seventh anniversary of his brother's death.

_'How pitiful'_ Lukas thought to himself, recalling the events of his deplorable existence as he watched the local scenery zoom past his vision. Lukas found himself being escorted to the other side of town. The feeble van he resided in, rocked turbulently as it sped down the road. For the alleged important government official Mr. Black was, his choice of transportation couldn't be more inconvenient.

The windows were rolled down, which made Lukas wonder if the mangled vehicle even had air conditioning. He had to admit it was quite pleasant outside. On a lazy Sunday morning, the local park abounded with couples, ranging from all ages and ethnicities, enjoying the fair weather together. A particular pair caught his attention. Both participants were male and at the height of their youth. Likely, they were in their teens, but no older than early twenties at the most. From their gentle gestures and affectionate body language, it was obvious they were much more than friends. No one batted an eye. The couple mingled perfectly with the other lovers, almost like a small piece on the mosaic of diversity.

Watching until the couple were no longer in view, Lukas couldn't help but feel a sense of longing. It baffled him how quickly social norms could change in the matter of a few decades. Had he dared to convey romantic feelings for another man at the same age, he would have been met with nothing but disdain and ridicule. Furtively, he was jealous at their right to express such unshrouded intimacy - not that it mattered anymore. The last time he had anything remotely close to a boyfriend was over twelve years ago, and to further rub salt in the wound, it ended disastrously with the prick running off with a much wealthier suitor.

"And we're here." Mr. Black's voice interrupted as the vehicle came to a screeching halt. Lukas gave a nod, as he was assisted outside. He rubbed his eyes a couple times to ensure that they weren't playing any tricks. The headquarters resided in a desolate part of town, with nobody thing but empty grassland on either side. It was rather bleak. Most of the windows were broken and carelessly fixed with a layer of tape and plastic. The walls were weathered, moldy and seemed as if they could crumble with a slight push. When Lukas gave the building a careful glance over, it seemed more like the remnants of an abandoned factory, if anything.

"Not as fancy as you thought, hmm?" Mr. Black ratified his speculation as he punched in a series of numbers on the keypad nearby. "This project is perhaps the most well-guarded secret of the country and things have to be kept discreet."

"Hello. I am Dr. Plushenko" A raspy voice greeted, upon his entrance. It belonged to a wheelchair bound man, whom Lukas reckoned was at least a decade older than himself. The man's condition resembled that of someone extremely sickly. He spoke through a ventilator and like the walls of the building, insinuated that he could collapse at any given minute. "Welcome to my greatest invention."

The inside was not half as shabby as the exterior. There were at least a dozen more "Mr. Blacks" who surrounded the elderly man in a circle, with their hands behind their backs. For a moment, Lukas thought they were all statues, until one moved to scratch his nose. They then seemed more like clones.

It was practically the only thing orderly about the place. The floor was littered with pieces of scrap metal, various tools, and broken machinery. Everything appeared to be defective, except for one conspicuous item in the center of the room. Lukas couldn't get a clear view of whatever it was, but could make out that the item was small, with a circular shape and silver luster. It wasn't anything too impressive, but somehow he had an eerie hunch that it was much more advanced than the common technologies of this day and age.

"This" Dr. Plushenko directed towards the item. "Here is the Higgs Field Emulator-Light-Refracting-Anti-Gravity-Negative Energy-Detonator." He paused for a brief moment to cough before continuing. "In other words, it's what you would call a time machine."

Lukas refrained himself from giving a loud snort. He figured from the beginning that whatever he had just gotten himself in would be outlandish but this had become more preposterous with each passing second. "That's right. After years of exploring the field of theoretical physics, I have finally gathered enough antimatter to create this beauty. Consider yourself our first lucky volunteer."

Gut intuition indicated to Lukas that now would be a great time to flight, escape, and get as far from these neurotic maniacs as soon as possible. That however, wasn't reasonably feasible. Firstly, would not get away, especially with those "Mr. Black" clones guarding the room and secondly, he lacked the physical capabilities to make a long sprint. Lukas heaved a sigh. _'What the worst thing that could happen?'_ At this point, he wouldn't be too surprised if he ended up dead. _'But then again'_ he pondered. _'It's not like there's anything left to lose.'_

After all, he didn't even have anywhere to be anymore. Last week, he was abruptly replaced by a fresh-faced high school student and subsequently let go from his job, which was the reason why he was both out of work and soon, his home. _'To hell with it.'_

"Listen carefully Mr. Bondevik. These instructions are extremely important and I can only tell you them once." Dr. Plushenko explained. Lukas strained his ears to hear. Now that he had been paying more attention to details, he could have sworn the man had the faintest hint of some sort of Eastern European accent. He couldn't place his fingers on the origin, however. "This machine is set to send you back fifty years in the past. When you wake up, it will be the same day and time, only it will be in 1965 instead. And you will be at the same exact age and condition as you were at that time. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Lukas shook his head in confirmation, even though he highly doubted that the machine or any of Dr. Plushenko's plans were going to succeed.

"We will require weekly checkups on your progress. More details on the subject shall be revealed later." there was a second pause, followed by another series of coughs from Dr. Plushenko. "Our first meeting will be tomorrow afternoon, three P.M. sharp at the Seaside Cafe. You'll know where that is once you get there. And by tomorrow, I mean September 3rd, _1965_. Am I clear?"

"Yes." he repeated.

Lukas wasn't sure exactly what happened afterward. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed Dr. Plushenko typing something on a keypad. Then, one of the "Mr. Blacks" went to the opposite side of the room and pulled some sort of lever.

The rest was a complete blur, as the room spun, swayed and shook. It felt as if he had been caught at the epicenter of a horrendous, ten-magnitude earthquake. His vision blurred, until everything within his view meshed together, in a colorful swirl. Lukas felt his stomach churning, sending a wave of nausea through his body. In an attempt to help alleviate some discomfort, he squeezed his eyes shut. At some point, He was sure he lost balance, plummeting straight to the floor.

Then everything went dark, as his senses began fading out. He was left with an odd sense of warmth and comfort, as the last of his consciousness dissipated.

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**Note: I know there are many theories on time travel. The one I'm sticking with is the one where you CAN essentially completely rewrite the past and people who were supposed to die on a certain day CAN be saved and vice versa.**

**This was pretty much the prologue to the story. I kind of sped through this, because I want to get to the actual exciting stuff soon! Also this story will be significantly more fast paced than my other DenNor story (which is the only other thing on my profile if you're interested...I know, shameless self promotion). **

**If anyone is curious about the origins of this story, I had this idea for a long time, where a character screwed up their life pretty badly and is given a chance to change it. I kind of played around with a bunch of different fandoms and pairing until I finally decided on this. I'm also very fascinated with the whole Cold War and the culture of the 60's in general and I think this is a great way to combine both!**

**I can't really say about my update schedule for this story. I'd like to say once every 3 weeks to monthly to be safe, because real research goes into this. But if there's high demand, I will definitely update this faster.**

**Anyway, I really would love to hear what you guys think! Please take a brief moment to leave some comments, if you have the time :)**

**Thanks again for reading! And thanks to those who favorite/subscribe/review! ****See you next time!**


	2. I Can't Explain

**Yellow Brick Road, Chapter 2**

Lukas concluded there were four possible scenarios that could explain his current predicament, which he listed in order, starting from the most probable case.

First, this was the most bizarre dream dream he had ever experienced and somehow his imagination had conjured a mad scientist who literally just offered to send him back fifty years into the past, and in the next moment when he opens his eyes again, he will be back in his apartment, resting on his couch. However, this "dream" also felt strangely realistic, so he couldn't exactly rule out the potential that everything, up to the ground shaking, had been real. Which drew him to his second inference, where the so called time machine was a complete blunder and he was still sprawled on the floor of the old abandoned factory. This also leads to a third scenario where the experiment had turned out deadly. Thus, the trauma to his body had been too heavy, and the physical sensation of peace and relaxation he currently experienced had been due to him passing away. Finally, although he figured that the chances of the situation was slim, perhaps everything had occurred, exactly as Dr. Plushenko had forecasted and he was truly sent back to 1965.

There was only one way to find out. Drawing a deep breath, he allowed his vision to return to focus.

The surroundings did not lie. Lukas found himself in a room all right. He was lying on a bed. An ordinary one that was, as it certainly didn't seem like he was in a hospital or some other institutionalized place any sort. Nothing was recognizable yet at the same time, was remotely familiar. Who's room and whose bed was the next question. He was perplexed at how he managed to sit up with such ease, as well as how light his body felt. And when he reached over for his cane, it was nowhere to be found.

Thanks to the maneuver, he caught a good glimpse of his arm, which he noted was strangely smooth and youthful looking. The same applied to every part of his body within view, Lukas realized, as he analyzed the details of his anatomy. Furrowing his brows, he found himself utterly puzzled. With all the nonsensical phenomenons Lukas had seen throughout his life, it wasn't often that he was caught off guard. This was one of those rare occasions.

_'A dorm hmm?'_ he observed, after a quick glance around. The place appeared to be the typical college residence at least, and the bed he was resting on wasn't the only one in the compact room. On the other side was a similar cot, narrow and fitting for a single person. The bedding was askew and whoever used it earlier had done a lousy job at keeping it orderly. _ 'No way. It couldn't be.'_ Lukas thought for a moment. If his suspicions were correct, there was something he needed to confirm before drawing any verdicts.

Without hesitation, he bolted from the bed. He needed to find a mirror, or something that would give him a clear view of his features. Fortunately, there had been one hanging right above the dresser nearby. Lukas gave a surprised gasp at what he saw. In front of him was the visage of a teenage boy, whom had some striking attributes. His eyes were well-defined, sharp and a deep shade of indigo. A shock of platinum blond hair canopied his head and dangled loosely to the bottom of his chin. It was almost impossible to believe that the person staring back was actually himself. Nevertheless, when Lukas raised his arm to run his fingers through those locks, the reflection followed suit.

'_Well this completely eliminates the middle two scenarios,'_ He most certainly wasn't at the factory anymore and was very much alive. There still held the chance that everything he was seeing was a dream within a dream and to make his final deduction, Lukas gave himself a hard pinch on the cheek. He hissed, as the pain seared through his skin. Rubbing the tender spot, he scowled. As much as he found it baffling to accept, Lukas could not come up with a more feasible explanation, other than the fact that he had genuinely been transported back through time, courtesy of some demented old man.

Regardless of his nagging intuitions, Lukas wanted to find one last affirmation to be absolutely certain. His gaze descended on the desk adjacent. Disregarding the table itself, he was drawn to the calendar that hung directly above. He inched forward for a better look. '_September 1965'_, it read. Flipping the page over, the next month was _October 1965_, followed by November of the same year.

Every piece of evidence now indicated that the so called experiment had gone according to plan. '_This is absolutely absurd'_. No, Lukas still found it baffling and his reluctance still fed into the denial he had about the whole situation, in spite of the overwhelming proof. He needed some time to contemplate, and perhaps his stubbornness refused to allow him to accept everything he was hearing, seeing, and feeling - but for now, he would play along, as if the circumstances were completely normal.

'_If this was really September 1965, where would I be?'_ He pondered. Calculating the numbers in his head, Lukas figured he was roughly eighteen years old. It made sense with his current location. If his memory proved correct, he would have left Minnesota to begin his Freshman year of University on the West Coast in San Francisco. Everything, from his place of residence to the people he was around would be foreign, as his hometown was half way across the country. After all, there were no other possibilities. He attended University once and briefly, only to withdraw in the middle of his sophomore year. It was for reasons that were still difficult to dwell upon till this day.

Lukas bit his lower lip, as he was grappled with a sensation of sorrow and uneasiness at the mere thought. He heaved another deep sigh. Nonetheless, if everything was legitimate and he was genuinely being given a second chance, then he would have to face the inconvenient truth, sooner or later.

In his auspicious favor, the dreary thoughts could be temporarily avoided as the door unlocked with click.

"_Moi~_ Good morning Lukas!" a cheerful voice sang. It belonged to a young man, whose hair held some similar qualities to his own. Perhaps the only distinctive difference was that the other wore his inch or two shorter and it was slightly straighter. He was also smaller by a good couple inches and his way of dress implied a fondness for the light blue color. The man's violet eyes brightened as he spoke. "I see that you're up."

"Good morning." Lukas paused for a moment, imploring his mind for all the details he educed about his companion. In his freshman year he could recall having a particular roommate. It wasn't too difficult to piece together. After all, in the duration of his University career, they remained good friends and Lukas would have considered him one of his closer acquaintances at the time. Lukas started with a name, to which he was fairly certain was right. "Tino."

"Oh umm, my name's actually Timo." the other man corrected. "It's not English, so I guess it can be hard to say. But I wouldn't mind it if you called me Tino, if it's easier, you know."

'_Right, that nickname. He must have adopted it at a later time.'_ Lukas cleared his throat in hopes of brushing away the blunder. "Sorry about that."

"No, no, it's perfectly fine! In fact, I think Tino rolls off the tongue much more easily, right?" he gave a chuckle.. "Not that I'm ashamed of my heritage or anything. I just feel it'll make it more pronounceable to other people here."

"Whatever suits you better." Lukas gave a shrug in return. He plopped himself on the chair nearby to reflect. Tino tended to blabble and could hold a conversation for a gruesomely long time, with unintentional disregard to whether or not the other party was receptive of such attention. On occasion, Lukas had found himself tempted to tell the guy to pipe down so he could concentrate for a few minutes - politely of course, as Tino also had delicate feelings according to Lukas's retrospection.

Even so, he was fond of Tino and Lukas had to give credit to the dorm manager for such a compatible arrangement. It seemed like a far stretch at first, but they did have quite a bit in common. Perhaps it was taken in consideration when the rooms were assigned. If he wasn't mistaken, they shared some close cultural ties, although he couldn't pinpoint the exact country the smaller man was from. '_Definitely Nordic._' Being Scandinavian himself, Lukas could differentiate subtle differences in the facial features of people from the same area with decent accuracy. '_Probably not Norwegian or Icelandic. Perhaps Swedish?'_

"Oh yes! I almost forgot. I snuck this out for you," Tino reached over and pulled out a crudely wrapped bagel from his coat pocket. "The dining hall is probably closed now until lunch. I wanted to wake you earlier so we could have breakfast together, but you were still fast asleep and I was getting really hungry. Sorry! How about another time? Oh, I know! We can go together tomorrow!"

"It's fine. Don't worry about it. Thanks for saving me a bite." Taking a mouthful of the bread, Lukas was honestly grateful for the gesture. He hadn't realized his famished state, until his appetite embroiled him to devour the food.

"Too bad you missed breakfast though. There was so much to eat!" Tino's face beamed with excitement as he continued to chatter. "The cream of wheat was so delicious! It tasted just like the _helmipuuro _my _mummo _used to make in Finland!"

'_So he's Finnish. That's right.'_ Now it all clicked together. There were some distinguishing attributes about his friend that Lukas could sort out, which he listed in his mind.

The Finn enjoyed saunas, perhaps too much for his own good. Trips to spa resorts were way over budget and most of the local bathhouses were rather shady. Tino would compensate by taking lengthy showers with the heat turned up as blistering as possible, which would then result in a scolding from their residential advisor for wasting all the hot water. He also enjoyed that putrid black licorice, which Lukas had once deemed the candy from hell.

Tino would be his roommate for the rest of the school year. During their sophomore year, they remained great friends, despite no longer sharing the same place. Tino would end up living with a boy he had become inseparable from - a foreign student from a fellow Nordic country.

"Isn't it nice? We have tomorrow off!" He heard Tino chirp across the room as he stretched himself out on his mattress. "I'm excited to start the school year but it's also great to have an extra day to relax. Hey Lukas." he hauled himself upright before speaking again.. "What do you think the training's going to be like?"

'_The training, of course.' _Which reminded Lukas of the other reason they made excellent roommates. After all, his social group during University, which prominently featured Tino, was mostly formed due to their involvement with the Reserve Officer's Training Corps program. They trained, had classes, and resided in the same lofts together.

"Extremely exhausting and tedious most of the time, from what I heard." Lukas explained, which was the truth. The first few weeks were particularly tough. He still remembered coming back sore, bruised and utterly drained after each drill session. Then again, he wasn't in the best shape when training began and from what he could tell, Tino didn't appear to be either. "But the experience gets much better after a while and you'll probably enjoy yourself, or so what people have told me." he added, upon seeing his companions eyes widen in shock.

He refrained from mentioning to Tino that he probably wouldn't have much to worry about. From what Lukas knew, Tino eventually graduated with the successful completion of his training. Not long after, he joined the war efforts in Vietnam. Lukas reckoned that would have been his exact fate as well, had he not withdrawn.

Finishing the last of the bagel, Lukas figured he needed to construct some strategies on how he was going to sort out this eccentric predicament. Scanning the room, he realized it was going to be a bit of trouble. Afterall, it was supposedly forty-nine years ago that he last set foot in this room and after the vast amount of time, his recollection wasn't infallible. He started by going through his possessions. He was able to identify his own materials whilst watching Tino in the background excitedly rummaging around.

Beginning with the closet, Lukas noted the details. Much like the rest of the room, it was narrow and compact. At the same hand, it had an efficient sliding two-door design. Inside, he was greeted with a colorful array of clothing. Examining the garments closely, he noticed a wide selection of frayed bell-bottom jeans, t-shirts and bandanas. Rolling his eyes, Lukas found it hard to believe that he once wore such ridiculous things. Yet they were a popular fashion trend. The "hippie" style, he recognized, was how every fresh-faced liberal University student dressed, including himself. After scouring around through the collection, he selected a set of top and trousers that were the least outlandish.

After dressing himself and fixing his hair, Lukas delved into his other belongings. On his desk, he found a copy of his class schedule. He gave a groan in frustration, noting that his daily routine began at six thirty in the morning. Perhaps he had more energy in his earlier years, which prompted him with the same arrangement as the typical morning person. However that most certainly dwindled and as of late, in which he preferred to rest until the sun was well-up in the sky.

At the very corner of the table, he noticed a large envelope. It was the sturdy kind, fit for mailing and lined with bubble wrap on the interior. A piece of paper, along with a photograph slipped out. The paper was not much more than a small record of phone numbers and addresses, with the list beginning with an entry titled "home". He tucked the sheet back into the envelope for safekeeping.

Subsequently, Lukas found himself inspecting the picture, as it looked rather familiar. Matching the current technology, the photograph was poor in quality and completely in black and white. The image was that of a blond woman with a gentle smile. Her hands were linked together with two young boys on either side. The youngest, who Lukas presumed to be around ten, was shying away from the camera as he buried half his face in the woman's dress. The other boy appeared to be staring blankly at the camera, as no tangible expressions dabbled on his features. The trio seemed to be enjoying a relaxing day at the park.

Lukas felt his chest ache as he was overcome with an unexpected sense of melancholy. He swallowed, in a futile attempt to clear the lump in his throat that was forming, due to the sentiment that wrenched at his his heart. He knew exactly what he had been looking at.

"Hey Lukas, are you alright?" a concerned Tino peered over. His distress didn't go unnoticed. "You seem kind of upset."

"I'm fine. Allergies, you know." was the first excuse he could come up with. "It's that time of year again."

Tino's eyebrows raised in confusion as he returned a wary gaze. "Well alright. If you say so."

Through the years, he had become well versed in keeping his voice calm, monotonic and disguising any hint of feelings with apathy. "Yes, don't worry about it." His companion gave a mere shrug, seemingly satisfied with the clarification.

That photograph was none other than his family - his mother, younger brother, and himself all together. The feeling struck him like a bolt of lightning and never dawned on him until now, just how much he missed them. He longed for everything, from his mother's loving embraces to the silly misadventures and spats he had with his brother.

Never had Lukas considered himself an emotional person. If anything, he was often the mirror opposite, with the tendency to be aloof and impassive. Yet, he found himself fighting the sensation of utter sorrow. As much as this nostalgic nonsense was bothersome, he could not halter his reactions. '_How long had it been since I last seen their faces or heard their voices?' _Lukas remembered it clearly. Seven years for Emil. His brother endured a myriad of trauma and unfortunate issues, up until the day of his passing. And his mother? Her demise was much earlier, and so premature that Lukas had practically gone through the rest of his life in her absence.

Mentally chiding himself for inducing such memories, Lukas rubbed his temples, which were throbbing with tension that accompanied his affliction - that was, until he realized the date. '_It was September 1965. But then that could only mean one thing.'_

Lukas knew exactly what he desperately needed to do. "Tino, is there a phone here for us to use?"

"Yeah, downstairs in the lobby. Might be a line though. Why? Is there an emergency?"

The question was never answered, as Lukas scampered out the door.

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**Hello all, thank you for all the wonderful comments last chapter. I had no idea this would be so popular. And hopefully this chapter doesn't disappoint. At first, I was so worried that the concept was so strange, no one would even want to click on the link! But now I'm feeling a bit more confident.**

**What did you think about Lukas's characterization? Hopefully he's not too emotional at the end, but I've always envisioned Norway was someone with plenty of feelings. He's just good at keeping them hidden. Also, hopefully the chapter lengths are alright. I'm going to keep them roughly 3k long for this story, because the story ends up getting repetitive and dragging, plus I'll end up taking an eternity between updates.**

**Also, for those that are anticipating the romance...Mathias will be here either the next chapter or the one following it, as the lovey-dovey fluff is only a part of the plot - not the complete focus.**

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_**Brief history/factual lesson:**_

_**The Reserve Officer's Training Corps (ROTC) is a University program in the United States where one can train as an Army officer. The graduates automatically become a Lieutenant. (The rank goes from Private, Corporal, Sargent, Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Colonial, and General in that order. Of course there are plenty of other ranks in between, but those are just the major titles).**_

_**The 60's was pretty much the age of the "hippies" and counterculture. To keep everything as realistic as possible, I adhered to the common fashion trends.**_

**_Cell phones weren't available to the general public until the 1990's, which is why Lukas needs to use a common land phone. _**

_**Timo is an actual Finnish name. However, Tino is not. I kind of played off that a bit with Finland. **_

_**Mummo = Grandma (Finnish)**_

_**helmipuuro = a traditional Finnish porridge made from potato starch **_

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**Thanks again for those who subscribe/favorite/review. It really keeps me motivated to keep writing! Once again, if you can spare a minute, please leave a comment and tell me what you enjoyed or how I can improve my writing! :)**


	3. What's Going On?

**Yellow Brick Road - Chapter 3**

**Note: forgot to mention that Emil is Iceland in this story**

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It took a couple minutes for Lukas to find his way around the residence.

He lived on the eighth floor, noting the room number whilst making his way out. Gazing over the details as he left his dorm, Lukas knew he would have to get familiar with it and fast. Technically everything he witnessed only graced his eyes for the very first time, of course excluding the brief period he was in the same place five decades past, but that was much too far back for his memory to properly recall. As expected, the entirety of his surroundings was completely unfamiliar. However, he couldn't let that become apparent. Otherwise it would raise unwanted suspicion. Not that he expected anyone would suspect him of being a time traveler of any sort, but it would still be bothersome to make up a feasible excuse to explain his alleged absentmindedness.

Making his way through, Lukas counted that the hall had roughly twelve separate rooms with two bathrooms on either end. In the middle, there was an elevator and door. which led to a flight of stairs. They were on opposite ends of each other, dividing the floor in half.

Pressing the "down" button, he waited for the elevator. It was stuck somewhere on the lower levels, taking its sweet time to arrive. And after a good while with no sign of the lift, Lukas decided to take the stairs. He hadn't been too keen on using it in the first place, anyway. The design was much older than the elevators he was used to and it made some odd creaking noises as it travelled between the floors. If anything, it seemed unstable and he would hate to be trapped in that tight, enclosed space.

Which also reminded Lukas about his legs. They were strong, youthful and fully functional. No more did they ache and sting with every step. No more was he handicapped and bound to the assistance of his cane. And no more did it take a gruesomely long time just to make a small stroll to a different corner of a room. He could sprint, jump, and glide with utter ease and Lukas was going to take full advantage of it. Not to mention, a little exercise would do him good. After all, once the ROTC program began, he would have to become adept and well- accommodated to the vigourous drills.

As Tino mentioned, the public phone was on the ground floor. Observing the locations, he passed by the dining hall, laundry room and an arcade, before finally reaching the lobby where the the phone resided. Lukas found himself fortunate that there were only two people ahead - and when the door swung open, signalling his turn, he nearly leaped to the opportunity.

The phone itself caught him off guard. It was the old rotary style, firmly stationed to the table and wired to the walls from all directions. Those were hardly around anymore and it had to have been a full twenty years since he'd last seen one. Lukas brushed his fingers against the circular panel of numbers. He only had a faint recollection of how the antique device was used. Pulling the envelope, along with the list of phone numbers out from his coat pocket, he began to dial. Lukas found it a hassle, dragging the circle around just so he could punch in the digits. '_Thankfully'_ he grumbled. '_These would become outdated and replaced with actual keypads.'_

The line gave four buzzes before it was answered with a click.

"_Hello. This is the __Steilsson __household." _A woman greeted. "_Jóanna __Steilsson __speaking."_

Lukas paused, completely dumbfounded at what he heard. '_That voice!'_ The familiar mesh of an Icelandic and Norwegian accent, along with the gentle intonations told all. Lukas knew there was no mistake.

"_Hello? Is anyone there?"_

"H-hallo, mor." His first words came out as a stutter. It wasn't typical for Lukas to fumble in his speech, yet he couldn't contain his excitement from overflowing and influencing his articulation.

"_Lukas, is that you?"_ His mother gave a surprised inquiry.

"Err...Yes. I thought I would give a call to check up on things at home." He explained. It was partially the truth. However, the prime reason behind the call was to simply confirm a fact. Lukas let out a sigh in relief, as his suspicions were indeed correct.

Both his mother and brother were _alive _and well. If the date was indeed _September 1965_, that would undoubtedly hold true. He would still have a bit of time before the horrendous _disaster _stuck.

"_Alright. If you say so dear."_ Came the concerned response. "_But you just called us yesterday night. Is everything okay, Lukas?"_

"Yes. I'm doing great." He took another breath to keep his emotions in check. "I guess I just miss you guys."

"_Oh sweety. I miss you too. Emil misses you as well, despite what he's saying, and he's sure been antsy since you left. Don't worry though and hang tight. It'll only be four months or so before you come back for the Holidays."_

"Right. Of course. I'll be back for sure"

"_Anyway, I do have to go. My shift at the hospital starts in half an hour." _Lukas gave a nod. It was perfectly understandable. After all, she had it rough, being a single parent raising two boys. His mother always overexerted herself to ensure that their family could live comfortably. Even though she worked both afternoons and nights as a Nurse, money was always tight. "_I'll put Emil on the line though. Would you like to speak to him?"_

"I'd like that, please." There was a short moment of break. Lukas heard his mother calling for his brother, which was followed by the sound of footsteps scampering to the phone.

"_Hi Lukas."_ Spoke a young boy on the other end.

"Hey Emil. How have you been?"

"_I'm good."_ His brother replied. "_But it's kind of boring here now."_

"How about hanging out with some of your friends? Or maybe." Lukas thought for a second. There was a childhood toy Emil was particularly fond of. In fact, he kept it close to him throughout the rest of his life. "Mr. Puffin?"

"_I don't have many friends. And come on. Mr. Puffin used to be fun. But I'm thirteen." _Lukas could imagine his brother's cheeks turning red with the statement. "_I don't play with stuffed animals anymore."_

Heaving a sigh, Lukas wished he could see the adorable pout that was probably fixated on Emil's face. Then he remembered he could still draw out some cute antics from the boy, even if it was through the phone. Too long had passed since he last had the chance to tease his brother, and Lukas wasn't about to let the opportunity slide. "Come on Emil. You know what to call me."

"_No way. Keep dreaming, Lukas."_

"Big brother. Call me big brother."

"_As if I'd ever say something that stupid."_

"Big brother."

"_No!"_

"Kalle meg storebror."

"_Nei!"_

"Or you can even say stóri bróðir if you prefer."

"_Nei! Og ég mun aldrei, Lukas._"

"Hurry and say it. I know you want to."

"_I certainly do not!"_

"Alright, alright _lillebror_. I'll let it slide this round." Although it wasn't visibly apparent, Lukas was happy just to speak with Emil again. His brother was as frustratingly stubborn as ever. Nonetheless. he was still fairly satisfied by their little chat. "But next time I will get you to say it."

"_Good luck with that. I'm not saying it. Ever."_

"Oh? That's what you think."

"_Whatever." _Emil was probably rolling his eyes. He hesitated before continuing. "_But please come home soon, Lukas. __Mamma's __always working and there's no one else around."_

"I will Emil. Don't worry." Lukas figured he should end the call. A good amount of time had passed and others were waiting. He didn't want to be impolite and hold up the line. "Take care of yourself, okay? And Mamma too." He also figured he should also get back to Tino. His roommate was doubtlessly worried after seeing his strange behavior earlier.

**...**

"I just forgot to contact my mother. She was worried and I promised to notify her first thing, when I arrived here." Lukas concocted as he returned to his room. It felt like a fairly reasonable excuse. He didn't feel too bad for the fabrication, otherwise he'd likely paint himself as someone who needed a good psychological evaluation. With the peculiar events that occurred this morning, Lukas already felt in such ways; and if the trend continued, he wouldn't be surprised if it truly became the case. Thus he concluded to take things easy and plan out everything overtime. He would let it all sink in slowly, as he got accustomed to this strange situation.

Tino glanced up from the book he had been reading. "Aww, that must be nice! I talk to my family too. It's just my parents though. I'm an only child, but my _äiti _and _isä _always give me extra love and attention! How 'bout you, Lukas?"

"Well I have my _mor _and _lillebror_." he began. "We immigrated to the United States when I was six." Lukas remembered them well. His family may have been small, but they were always close knit. Besides, he didn't have much contact with anyone other than his mother and Emil, since the rest of his kin were scattered between Norway and Iceland. The States had been a rather odd move, or maybe it was the best way for one to completely start anew. Lukas figured life would have likely been much easier had his mother kept their family in Norway, or even relocated them to her native country of Iceland, but he respected her decision.

"Oh." Tino gave his head an innocent tilt as he quizzed. "How about your father? Do you talk to him?"

"Nope." He gave a meager shrug. Perhaps during the original period of his adolescence, it would've been a sore topic. Over the years, the entirety bothered him less and less, until it was nothing but a mere brush upon his shoulder. "And it's for the better that I don't."

"I'm sorry. I didn't know." Tino kept quiet afterwards, seemingly hesitant to push the subject further.

"It's fine. Doesn't bother me." In actuality, Lukas had never been familiar with his paternal parent. The man was hardly around to begin with. But based on the various stories he heard, his father was a terrible person who did some unspeakable deeds - and as far as Lukas knew, was still under federal arrest in Norway.

Said deeds had been so abhorrent, his mother changed back to her maiden name the very next day. Emil was fortunate that the events happened roughly a month before his birth and out of spite, his mother had given him her family name as well.

Although he had the chance, Lukas never acted in the same accordance. It wasn't that he wanted to be associated with the tainted surname. His reasons were due to the plain fact that he never felt the necessity to cover up his history. If anything, it felt like a sullen reminder of the past, which could never be entirely erased, no matter how much he wished.

'_Erase it, no. But what if the past could be changed?' _Such thought rekindled Lukas about his current predicament. '_Yes.'_ There _was something _definitely wanted to alter. He glanced at the calendar again, rehearsing the current dates in his head.

If this so called experiment had been everything he was promised, then there would be _one event _he would prevent. Even if the stakes were high, he would follow through and if it would end up being the _only_ thing he could improve with this second chance, it would still prove a worthy cause.

For now however, that date was still more than a year away and he would have to wait. There wasn't anything he could do as of yet.

* * *

The remainder of the day, followed with the next morning, flew by quickly. Lukas spent the entirety with Tino, or rather it was more on the lines of Tino enjoying an adventure and Lukas finding himself dragged along with the ride. Despite so, they were quite productive with their break. Lukas took note, as he toured the University campus, along with the area nearby.

Even in the 60's, San Francisco was ethnically diverse. Unsurprisingly, not everyone in town was blond haired, blue eyed and of Western descent. Rather, Lukas found himself the minority. Most notably, there were high concentrations of Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians and other Eastern European immigrants. Along side, was a fair amount of Asians. They were mostly Chinese, but also included a healthy mix of Japanese, Vietnamese, and Koreans. Of course, there were other cultures. He also counted plenty of Germans, Dutch, Italians, Poles, and Hungarians, just to name a few. Lukas enjoyed the diversity and the fact that, regardless of the differences in heritage, most meshed together and mingled in perfect harmony. The rich backgrounds of the locals could be reflected through the venues - which brought together an assorted arrangement of ethnic restaurants and shops. Lukas was not one to be sociable, and although he was casually observing the people around him, in the future, he'd likely refrain from interacting as much as possible. Yet at the same time, he couldn't help but find the variety pleasant.

Diversity wasn't the only enjoyable factor. Residing next to the bay, Lukas could hear the soft lapping of the waves in the distance, as well as the crisp smell of the sea. The temperature was always mellow and delightful, with the correct combination of sun and clouds in the sky. The climate was never too blazing or frigid and always seemed to meet in the perfect middle, making it splendid outdoors, even during the most extreme periods of summer or winter.

Now that he thought about it, the weather was much like before - or fifty years in the future by the literal sense - Lukas still had to wrap his head around the notion. And in retrospect, since attending University, he lived in the area his entire life. The city ever changed much, except perhaps only increasing in diversity. Either way, it maintained the same cultured and charming atmosphere he was currently enjoying.

Furrowing his brows, Lukas could only wonder why his sixty-eight year old self had been so miserable. Perhaps his senility had gotten the best of him. Maybe he had grown bitter and cynical through the years. Conceivably he could also blame it on loneliness or even a combination of all three.

Whatever it was, he would have to ponder upon it later. He noted the time of day, and as much as he preferred to continue his exploration, he had promised to follow through as part of the agreement for the aberrant experiment he was currently partaking in.

The Seaside Cafe was only a short distance from the University. Lukas was baffled at the convenience of the location. Thus, it was hard to complain, as it was one of the first places he passed by whilst surveying his location. He planted himself at a visible spot near the entrance and waited.

'_No sign of anything just yet.'_ Glancing at his wristwatch, he witnessed the hour hand clicking as it landed directly on top of the _"3"_. At the very next moment, a sizable, white van pulled up, parking itself only a few feet in front of his position. It took a second, before Lukas realized it was the same exact vehicle that escorted him to the factory at the beginning.

The back door slipped open, revealing a broad man, roughly in his early thirties. _'Speak of the devil,'_ thought Lukas, as he examined the bizarre individual. His facial features seemed rather familiar, almost as if he'd seen the person recently. Lukas' view wasn't all too great, as the man's aspects were mostly obscured by a pair of sunglasses and a large cap on top of his head.

In the next instant, he realized that character was none other than Dr. Plushenko himself, albeit fifty years younger. "What are you waiting for?" the scientist signaled with a wave of his hand. "Come on in."

Hesitantly, Lukas made his way towards the van. His hands tensed, clenching together, courtesy of the unwavering feeling in his gut.

"Well, Hello there Mr. Bondevik." Came the impish salutation. "I'm glad you could make it. Have a seat now, will you?"

"Hello." Lukas nodded, following suit. In the middle of the vehicle was a simple table paired with a set of chairs. Choosing the nearest one, he adhered to the offer. However, that was just about the only comprehensible part of the setting, Lukas realized, as he caught a better glimpse of his surroundings. The inside of the van was as unconventional as the entire experiment itself. It was fairly empty, save from the Doctor and whoever that sat in the driver's seat. Other than the backside of his head, Lukas couldn't see any more of the chauffeur, due to an odd wall of haze that separated the front of the vehicle from the back.

The van was so spacious, Lukas couldn't help but feel as if he were in some strange laboratory. He felt out of place. The entire area resembled something that was more fitting for scene from the twenty-third century. Every corner of the vehicle was packed with wires and ominous, glowing devices, which Lukas had not the faintest idea of what any were, yet alone seen in his life. If his memory proved correct, none of the strange machinery were in the vehicle the first time he was there, which led Lukas to think that there had been some extensive redesigning. With that in mind, he brought his attention back to the subject. "I showed up, just as I agreed."

"That's great, Mr. Bondevik." Lukas was struck with an uncanny sensation of discomfort as the doctor's eyes met with his own, behind the enigmatic shroud of his shades. "I like subjects that can follow directions." He paused before continuing. "Why the long face, though? You survived the first phase of the experiment."

"Erk," Lukas scratched his head, still taken back at everything that had been happening. "Well, I really didn't expect this to work, and now it seems we're actually in 1965."

The scientist frowned, as if offended by the statement. In a fever, he leaped onto the table, shaking his fists in the air. "Of course it works! Do you take me as a fool? This was my life research boy! I spent my entire career building this machine! With the years of experimentation and testing, of course it's going to be a success! This is the greatest achievement in the history of mankind, you hear! YOU HEAR ME?"

Eyes widening in bewilderment, the strange outburst was enough to make Lukas recoil.

Dr. Plushenko cleared his throat and returned to his seat. In the next moment, he completely reverted to his normal self, casually brushing off the tantrum as if it never occured. "Anyway, before we begin with phase two, do you have any questions?"

In all honesty, there were many topics Lukas wanted to inquire. Everything was bizarre and beyond his comprehension. However, he decided to limit himself to one query. "This location. It seems all too convenient. How did you know to meet me here?"

"What do you think, Mr Bondevik?" his companion jested. "It's no secret. We've looked into your records. It's all on file, if you didn't know. All the silly things you've done, we've seen and read it all. On top of that, we've also been monitoring you thoroughly. This experiment is not only extremely expensive, it is extensive. Have you forgotten the agreement? You'll be with us for the next _fifty years_. Now do you think we're going to chose any random fool off the street? Of course not!" the Doctor chuckled at his own remark. "We selected you carefully and meticulously. You're only here because we believe you are the perfect candidate."

"Alright." Lukas pursed his lips, not fully convinced at what he was hearing.

"Like I said." Dr, Plushenko confirmed. "You were chosen for a good reason. Rest assured, the purpose of us here is to help you improve. We want to guide you as you rebuild your life from the beginning and assist you in modifying it, in which ever way you desire."

"Fair enough." Spoke Lukas. His suspicions still stood. At the same time, everything he had been told so far held true. That factor in itself didn't covey an ounce of trust in that strange doctor. No. he was just as wary as ever. But concurrently, his intuition suggested it would be in his better interest to do as he was told. After all, this could truly be a second chance to correct his past mistakes. And with the grim circumstances he ended with during his original lifetime, he could hardly think of a way things could be worse.

"I'll make this quick, so it won't take much more of your time." The doctor pulled a box from one of the drawers. "Well open it." he coerced. "It's for you."

Lukas dithered for an instant, before pulling off the lid. A flash of gold caught his eye.

It was a cross-shaped object - metallic and small enough to fit in the palm of his hand, yet smooth and aesthetically pleasing. "Thanks for the…" He examined the article once more, before drawing his conclusions. Though it astounded him why he was given such an item. "Hair clip."

"Oh-ho!" Exclaimed the doctor, a bit too enthusiastically for Lukas' tastes. "But it's not just a hair clip. Although you will be using it as such and it will be required for you to wear as much as possible."

Cocking his head, Lukas couldn't see the object being anything more than a simple barrette.

"This here, Mr Bondevik, is a pager and cellular device all in one." Dr. Plushenko gave a sly smile, gripping the item for a demonstration. "Of course that's far too advanced for the technology of this age, so we have to disguise it as a common gadget. We'll be keeping in contact through it. This is very important, you see. There may be certain times we may run into _slight problems_ with the experiment. In the case of an emergency, we will be calling you from that device. Which is why I emphasize on the importance of keeping it on you at all times - preferably near your ears." he flipped the clip so the shorter side faced outwards. "And on this end" he pointed, "is an invisible button. Just hover your fingers over the area and you'll instantly be in contact with me. So far so good?"

"Yes." Lukas took the barrette, fumbling with the object for a second, before unbuttoning the pin and placing it on the right side of his hair. To his pleasant surprise, it actually made good use. His locks were rather long and the clip held them in place, preventing them from constantly getting into his eyes.

"Perfect." Dr. Plushenko flashed him a wink. "See, it's also super trendy and in style."

Shifting his eyes, Lukas would beg to differ. Nonetheless he kept silent and allowed the Doctor to continue. "We of course, tailored this experiment to your specific needs. You are pretty much free to do whatever you wish with your time. However, we do require a weekly written report. Consider it like a diary if you prefer. You only have to record your major activities." he paused to pull out a slip of paper. "Mail it to the address here every Thursday. Is that alright?"

Lukas shook his head in affirmation. "I have no problem doing so." It seemed simple enough and to his delight, the experiment was much less invasive and time consuming than he originally thought. His guard still held up, fully aware of his quandary, no matter how much the eccentric Doctor attempted to sway him otherwise.

"Very good! You're all set then! I trust that you know how to obey orders, so we won't have to meet like this often." Dr. Plushenko's voice dropped an entire octave with the following sentence. "_Am I right?"_

"R-right. Of course." Lukas gave a faint shudder, feeling a sharp chill run down his spine.

"Fantastic! That's what I want to hear!" The scientist cheered, returning to his normal, playful tone. "Now go on. It's time for us to depart."

The moment Lukas left the vehicle, his nose wrinkled in distaste. He couldn't get out fast enough and truthfully, if everything he experienced since yesterday morning had been ludicrous, this completely topped the list.

Despite so, Lukas figured he needed to simply continue. There wasn't any point in holding on to his denial much longer. Whatever happened that caused him to travel through time, back to his eighteen year old self, seemed as if it was permanent and here to stay. Given the amount of time that passed since his arrival, it felt unlikely that he was still trapped in some long, extensive dream.

'_This was it.' _Lukas decided, as he drew a long breath. He'll keep the barrette on him and send the letters, just as he was instructed. Once the opportunity warranted, he'll try to improve his life for the better and correct his grudging past mistakes.

Only time would determine the end of this round.

* * *

**Dr. Plushenko is an interesting character eh? Originally Russia was going to have his role, but I didn't want to offend anyone, so I changed him to an OC-ish personification of the USSR...But then I realized he would be much more exciting if he were more like a mad scientist. Not sure if I can call him the USSR anymore. And don't worry. If you don't like him, he probably won't be appearing in person again for a good while.**

**As promised, I'll introduce Mathias next chapter (probably towards the end though).**

* * *

**Translations:**

_**Mor = Mother (Norwegian)**_

_**Storebror = Big brother (Norwegian)**_

_**Kalle meg storebror = Call me big brother (Norwegian)**_

_**Nei = No (Norwegian/Icelandic)**_

_**Stóri bróðir = Big brother (Icelandic)**_

_**Og ég mun aldrei = And I would never (Icelandic)**_

_**Lillebror = little brother (Norwegian)**_

_**äiti = mother (Finnish)**_

_**_isä = father (Finnis_h)**_

* * *

**As always, special thanks to those who subscribe/favorite/review! It keeps my motivation flowing and the updates going. And if you can spare a minute of your time, please leave a quick comment and tell me what you enjoyed or how I can improve my writing.**

**Until**** next time :)**

**\- Miz**


	4. A Change is Gonna Come

**Yellow Brick Road: Chapter 4**

**NOTE: Potential trigger warnings in this chapter, due to homophobic language and bullying. **

* * *

_'__Mornings were possibly the worst time of day,'_ thus thought Lukas, as a deafening _Buzz_! shattered the the pleasant lull of his surroundings.

Abruptly jolted from his slumber, the Norwegian let out a dissatisfying groan. Aggravating sounds from his alarm clock filled the air, terminating the peaceful rest he had been enjoying. Scrunching his eyes shut, he pulled the covers over his head, in a futile attempt to block out the noise. Although he did retire at a reasonable hour the night before, his body remained stiff, demanding additional sleep.

Letting the cacophony play out, he found himself just beginning to return to a light doze when he felt a firm grip upon his shoulder.

"Come on Lukas! Wake up! We're going to be late!" the desperate voice of Tino bellowed.

_'Oh right. The first day of training.'_ Rolling over on his back, he swatted the hand away. "Mm, What time is it?"

"5:15." his roommate maintained his usual upbeat tone, despite his composure being latent with frenzy. "We were supposed to be up fifteen minutes ago."

"Thought we didn't have to be there until six."

"That's only if want to skip breakfast again." Tino tapped his feet. "Which I truly prefer not to. So please hurry."

Fighting would be useless and trivial. With a reluctant huff, Lukas sat himself upright against the headboard of his bed. "Alright. What do we need to bring?" If his memory was correct, the trainers and personnel were known for being stern and stringent. They would have no tolerance for tardiness in any form. Lukas was sure he'd be in trouble if he allowed himself to continue sleeping in. This was the military, after all. And given the fact that he had just been granted a second chance, it would be absolutely ridiculous to botch things all over again, just so he could have an extra few minutes of rest.

"Well," Tino thought for a moment. "We're just heading to the cafeteria for now, but we'll have to be by the lockers in less than an hour. Just in case there's a long wait, it's probably a good idea to bring our ID's, records, and registration forms. They'll be wanting that from us for sure."

Lukas gave a nod, shifting his gaze towards his desk. He would have to give his eighteen year old self a compliment for being fairly organized. The files weren't too difficult to find, saving him quite a hassle. Everything he needed was tucked together in a folder at his top desk drawer. He took note of the pile. There was a birth certificate, medical records, a handful of consent forms and a certificate that proved his naturalization as an American citizen, courtesy of his mother. He also had a photo identification card, which reminded Lukas that at his current age, he had yet to get a proper drivers license. It wasn't crucial yet, due to public transportation in the area being well-bestowed. In fact, he would be well into his twenties before it proved necessary.

Shutting the folder, he tucked it under his coat. "I think I found everything."

"Good! Now let's go!" The Finn gave a brightened exclamation. "I'm starving."

As he was leaving, Lukas remembered the assignment. From their meeting yesterday afternoon, Dr. Plushenko would be expecting him to perform diligently. He grabbed the barrette off the table and tucked it in the usual place on his hair.

Unsurprisingly, the dining hall was empty. Other than himself and Tino, Lukas could count approximately thirty people total, and this At this ungodly time of day, made it fairly was yet any sign of the sun, which meant the only people there had to be amongst the unfortunate souls, whom were awaiting the commencement of their first class.

Inside the cafeteria, Lukas was greeted to a simple display of food. _'Typical American breakfast.'_ he thought, helping himself to a piece of toast and some bacon. _'Nothing special.'_ However, it was in the next moment an intriguing device caught his attention. That object interested him a far more than the meal being offered at the breakfast nook.

"See." Tino gave a light prod, upon noticing a slight expression of enthusiasm upon Lukas' countenance. "I told you it was worth getting up for."

Like every warm-blooded Norwegian, Lukas loved coffee. Thus he could easily consume multiple cupfuls of the brew in one sitting, making his habit almost unhealthy. It didn't matter how the drink was made. He enjoyed the comforting dark liquid hot, iced or even lukewarm, and in any plausible way it could be contrived. The only thing that could make the heavenly drink any better, was it being free and complemented with an unlimited side of sugar and creamer. Congruent with his desires, everything was exactly how he wanted.

Tino followed close, grabbing a sizable cup for himself. After a hefty helping, both Nordics, conceded to locate a seat. The task wasn't too difficult, given the room was barely filled. Lukas decided to use the nearest table, where the only occupants were a pair of Germans, at least according to what he could make out from their spoken language.

"_Moi~_ Mind if we sit here?" Asked Tino.

As the first German glanced up, Lukas noticed the peculiar coloration of the man's pigments. Given the hues of his own, and much of those from his family, Lukas was familiar with fair locks. However, the German's hair was so pale, it could hardly be considered the lightest shade of blond. His tresses were practically white. Being the color among most elderly, it was not uncommon. Yet that was not the case, as the man definitely couldn't be any older than twenty. The odd tones of his strands were accompanied by the equally eerie crimson of his eyes, wherein the combination insinuated a possibility of albinism. "Yeah! That's no problem. Which by the way, is a smart choice, my friends!" he gleamed, giving an ample sweep of his hands. "Stick with the awesome me and good things will happen."

Taking his seat, Lukas couldn't help but wonder. For reasons he could not entirely fathom, the man seemed to vaguely stand out in his memory. Lukas felt there had to be some details about the guy, that would set him apart from others. It was almost as if there were specific aspects he should be remembering but had escaped his retention over the years. Then again, the sense could be false and stemming from nothing more than a combination of the man's eccentric appearance and boisterous personality. Lukas brushed such thoughts away for the moment .

"I'm Tino. Nice to meet you." the Finn bowed. "And this is my roommate Lukas."

"Name's Gilbert. The grumpy one here is Vash." the white-haired German introduced, motioning towards the blond across the table, who gave an annoyed growl in response. "We're not roommates though. The lazy bastard's still asleep. Not sure where Vash's though."

"With his girlfriend, of course." Vash, the blond German blurted, neglecting a proper introduction. There was a hinge of irritation in his tone, as he curled his lips. "Ditched me first thing in the morning. Not that I could care or anything."

"Meh, forget that uptight prick." Gilbert gave his companion a pat on the shoulder. "You have me, who by the way is much better than that _dummes huhn_ will ever be..." he trailed off, directing his attention towards the new arrivals at the table. "And these two are here as well, _richtig_?."

"Oh...yes. I would hate to be left behind too." A nervous grin appeared on Tino's face as he conveyed. "Your roommate is really the first person you get to know and it helps to have a friend. After all, there's new faces all around. Especially since everyone here seems to come from different backgrounds and cultures." he gave a light chuckle, resuming his babble. "Oh, speaking about cultures, it's quite interesting that the people here are so different! Myself, for example. Even though I was born here, both my parents are Finnish."

"Right." Lukas acceded, adding to the conversation. "And I hail from Norway."

"That's pretty cool. Prussian here." Gilbert boasted, curling his fingers so his thumb pointed back towards himself. "Not German, but _100 percent_ Prussian bred. Born there right before the country dissolved." In a bout of exasperation, he slammed his fists against the table. "_Diese wichser_! It was far more awesome than anything in Europe...Or heck, even the world!" he paused, continuing his next sentence more calmly. "And then afterwards, the folks moved us here."

"Ah." Lukas nibbled on his toast, not entirely sure what to think about Gilbert's outlandish outburst. He usually preferred to keep quiet, allocating most of any discussion to other people. It held exceptionally true when he was part of a sizable group. This time however, he felt the necessity to state his speculation. "I heard you speaking in German, so I'm assuming you're from the area too?"

He addressed to Vash, who then shrugged at the comment. "Not just German. I also know a fair amount of Italian, French and Romansh. Just one of the perils of being Swiss, I guess."

Correcting his misconception, Lukas gave a nod. _'The so called 'Germans' actually turned out to be a Swiss man and a Prussian instead.'_ He had a faint recollection of a polyglot, who had an impressive language ability among his class. And everything else had added up so far. It was a fair presumption that the person in question was none other than Vash himself. _'Then again,'_ as Lukas implored more into the topic, recalling more about his colleges. _'There had to be more to just that.'_ It was upon that chain of cognition, the conclusion belatedly resonated in his mind. 'Of course!' he reprimanded himself for the sluggish discernment. _'Vash and likely Gilbert as well, were both part of the ROTC._' After all, it would explain his brief retrospections of both men and coincide with the most probable reason they were awake so early.

For the remainder of the time, Lukas sat back and listened. Observing the others as they spoke, he absorbed the details in an attempt to further elicit his thoughts. As he expected, Gilbert enjoyed beer, wurst, and anything that was related to the former country of Prussia. Vash was uptight about money and had an extensive rifle collection. Astonishingly enough, Tino was also utterly fascinated by the later, and had been looking forward to the possibility of receiving some sniper training. It seemed contradictory against the Finn's upbeat nature, but then again after five decades, there were many details he doubtlessly forgetting.

Breakfast concluded roughly twenty minutes later, with the clock indicating that the first session of drills and classes were about to begin.

"_Schon_, let's go!" Gilbert cleared the last bits of sausage from his plate, scarfing the pieces down in one gulp.

Subsequently laying his fork down, Lukas grabbed his mug for one last gulp of coffee. Despite his own rigid attitude, even Lukas found the routine albeit strenuous and demanding. There was truly no time to chatter and leisure. The meal period was brief and just barely sufficient, allowing him just long enough to consume the majority of his fare. "Yes. Seems like it's about time."

After clearing off the leftovers and setting the plates in the washing bin, Lukas headed out. He followed Vash's lead, who was apparently more familiar with the premises of the campus than anyone else in the group. The auditorium was only a brisk walk from the dorm, where a fair-sized line was waiting, full of new cadets. A group of officers stood at the front. Formal and adamant, their dress was orderly as their proceedings. All in one swift maneuver, the officials collected paperwork, took attendance, and then handed uniforms to the band of recruits.

A few minutes passed before Lukas found himself at the beginning of the line. After the proper dealings were finished, he received his set of attire. The color was a strong musky green, sprinkled with spots of similar hues throughout, and designed for camouflage with the local scenery.

"_Joo_!" he heard Tino exclaim, whilst examining the the left pocket of his coat. "They got my name right!"

'_Väinämöinen_' it read, complete with the correct diaeresis over each accented letter._ 'Definitely not easy to say.'_ Lukas had to admit he was quite impressed with the accuracy. He glanced at his own pocket, where '_Bondevik_' was spelt out in bold lettering.

With the vivid embroidery of his title, came a reflection of a foreign ambiance. Bizarrely enough, the sensation was not entirely unfamiliar. Akin to the underlying emotions, Lukas was left with a sense of importance and perhaps alongside, a dash of hope. It reminded him of nostalgic times, far back in the beginning of his true adolescence. Although the period was short-lived and snuffed out prematurely. Moreover, his current demeanor made the existence of such period seem incredulous, there truly had been a time when he was bright-eyed and full of optimism.

As much as the memory was pleasant, he would not be allowed to dwell.

"What are you all standing around for?" an officer commanded, his inflection indicating a mild displeasure towards the crowd starting to form. Loosening his shoulders in a slump, Lukas felt a slight bout of chagrin for allowing himself to be distracted by his wistful mental state and then being caught among the aforementioned lot, but he could comprehend the officer's peevishness. The group, who mainly consisted of idle cadets, were being fairly frivolous - either gawking at their new uniforms or waiting for their peers. "Find your lockers and get dressed! We have much work to do today!"

Riled by the command, the crowd immediately dispersed to pursue the given order. Following the group of students, Lukas found himself at the dressing room. The place was simple, filled with parallel lines of lockers, and a crude wooden bench in between each row. After a brief moment of searching, he noted that there were a decent amount to chose from. Unsuitably, Lukas didn't have much preference. That was, until he saw Gilbert waving his hand, signalling towards him.

"These ones over here are pretty awesome!" the Prussian pointed to a set near the center "Let's grab 'em!"

"Sure, why not." he gestured in affirmation. Although he wasn't particular over the matter, Lukas had to give Gilbert credit for making a decent pick. He figured he may have eventually chosen the spot himself. as the location was notably not too far back, which avoided the possibility of pushing through a swarm during more busier times. Furthermore, the position was not too close to the front, where there may be constant exposure to the frigid morning air outside, due to the door constantly opening. Not to mention, it had been a good while since his presence was openly welcomed, and Lukas found the change pleasant. After a brief moment of pondering, he claimed the locker at the end of the row.

"Aww, these look nice. I can probably fit a towel or two in there..." Nearby, Tino examined his pick. "Along with a pair of slippers and maybe even a pair of robes." A sly smile appeared on his lips as his gaze shifted towards the showers.

Lukas pursed his lips, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the statement, but the Finn was too amusingly immersed in his fantasy - which likely involved something on the lines of turning the entire room into a sauna.

Turning his focus back to his own possessions, Lukas reckoned it would be in his better interest to start getting dressed. It would not only leave a favorable impression on the officers, but also allow him to prepare for whatever that would be forthcoming with his training. With this unexpected opportunity, he figured if anything, he should begin his University journey again with an exceptional start. Unlatching the lock, he was just about to change, when a distinguishing voice hollered through the room.

"Man! Ya gotta be kiddin' me!" the person shrieked with an undeniably Southern drawl. "We have to get undressed in here? That's just gross!"

An uneasy chill shot down his spine as those words were spoken. Lukas had a budding, uncomfortable feeling about the situation. His suspicions were solidified seconds later as the Southerner spoke again. "This is just fricken' ridiculous! I ain't taking my clothes off in here. Never ever!"

Someone different, who Lukas was unfamiliar with, spoke up. "I don't think we have a choice here."

"Well them commanders can kiss my ass! Cos I ain't doing it!"

"Give it a rest, Johnny." Came a second attempt to reason with riled offender. "It's no big deal."

"What!" the Southerner, or Johnny as he was called, gave an unsatisfied screech. "Ya seriously want to change in here? Do ya even understand what risk yer taking?"

"Not really. I don't see the problem. We're all guys."

For Lukas, everything clicked together. There was a specific reason he, along with any other decent human being, found the circumstances distasteful. Although this was at an University in San Francisco, which possibly made this location one of, if not the most open minded place in the country, there were still problems with his current predicament. Lukas was quickly reminded of the fact that he was no longer the modern era. Being stuck in the Sixties again, there were bound to be a fair share of prejudiced bullies. And no matter how much he attempted to avoid, it would be utterly foolish to believe that he could relive his life and never run into such a vulgar individual.

"Can't ya see the obvious?" Johnny gave a loud snort, sounding more like a swine than an actual human. "Ya really want to expose yer vulnerable body? Ya want it displayed so the _queers_ here can all gawk behind yer back?"

Upon the tirade, room fell in deathly silence. Lukas shifted his feet. Not everyone from his adolescence was pleasant, and Johnny was a prime example. The man was among a small list of people he wished to never meet again. And being around such a disgraceful individual only brought back the repressed memories of his own vulnerabilities.

It was too fitting for a person like Johnny to take full advantage of the attention he received. "Yer all bein' watched here ya know! Watched by them!" His fingers jabbed towards a small blond, who wore a distinctive pink blazer. "Them _fags_ like this one right here!"

"Excuse me?" the abashed boy retorted in return. His pitch was conspicuously effeminate, which only hindered his cause. "Like, what did you just call me?"

"Ya heard me." Johnny's nose wrinkled in disgust. "Nobody wants ya here, _faggot_!"

"I like totally have a name, okay?" In a bout of bravery, the boy in pink inched forward, redirecting the jab back at his aggressor. "It's Feliks. And you're absolutely rude!"

Johnny's fist met the nearby wall in an ear shattering _Slam_! On cue, all courage Feliks previously held seemingly dispersed. His pupils dilated in horror, as he struggled to shrink away.

His attempt to escape proved futile, as Johnny's broad arm seized him by the hood of his jacket. "Now where do ya think yer goin', _little fag_. We're not done here yet."

Feliks squirmed as Johnny's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "Perhaps yer little _homo-ass_ needs a good lesson on disrespect 'round here."

A collective gasp was heard around the room. The bystanders glanced among each other and back at the scene. With their mouths agape, it was difficult to distinguish their reactions as fascination or perturbation at the feasible outbreak of a fight.

Gritting his teeth, Lukas felt his gut give an uncomfortable churn. His mind was conflicted. Under normal circumstances, he would usually refrain from any conflicts, especially ones where there were high chances someone would walk away with at least a couple bruises. Nonetheless, the sight before him was all too distasteful and no one seemed to bat an eye. Imagining the possible fate that would befall Feliks, Lukas gave an inward cringe. On one hand, He knew the correct course of action would be to prevent the aforementioned scene from occurring. However, he also understood his limitations and how said course of action was impossible, due to Johnny being much larger than himself as well.

Yet to his dismay, the scene hit way too close to home for comfort. Throughout his years, Lukas had experienced similar incidents. He remembered them alright. The very thoughts brought him back to a time where he was nothing but a hapless, confused young fool in the hands of similar harassment. After years of withstanding such bullying himself, Lukas knew exactly what Feliks was feeling.

It was insufferable people like Johnny, who made the greater part of his life miserable. Lukas couldn't determine if such bigotry stemmed from a seriously screwed up sectarian religious upbringing, or deeply internalized homophobia. Perhaps it was a combination of both. Whatever the source was, Lukas couldn't bare to watch much longer.

Turning his head away, he drew a breath. _'Something had to be done.'_ Lukas decided. Maybe this time, with his granted fresh start, he could do something beneficial. He clenched his hands together, preparing to confront the situation. And just as Lukas opened his mouth to speak, he was beaten to the deed.

"What do you think you're doing?" Lukas froze, bewildered by the person afore. Shifting a couple steps back, he wondered why he hadn't noticed the presence until now.

The man in question was noticeably much better matched for challenging a giant, such as Johnny. Unlike the bully, however, the newcomer held an amicable air. His eyes softened in genuine concern over the tormented boy. Yet, Lukas squirmed, uncomfortable with the new circumstances.

_'There was no mistake.'_ Lukas knew exactly who stood before him. Windswept, golden hair was parted to one side of his head courtesy of a generous helping of gel. His visage was embellished with azure orbs so clear, they shared the same poise as a warm, summer sky.

It was none other than _Mathias Køhler_ \- Danish expatriate and as charming as ever. For completely different reasons, said man was the only other person who Lukas wanted to evade and hoped to never meet again.

"Wha?" the unexpected confrontation caused Johnny to loosen his grip on Feliks, sending the smaller boy crashing towards the ground.

"Leave the poor kid alone, alright?" Kneeling next to his fallen companion, Mathias attempted to reason.

"Pfft." Johnny grunted, his concentration now on the Dane. "Why're ya stickin' up for the fag?"

In response to the statement, Mathias squeezed himself directly between Feliks and Johnny. "Look, I don't know what your problem is, but you shouldn't be picking on this kid. He's literally half your size."

"Oh really now?" Sneered Johnny, his tone growing increasingly venomous as he spoke. "Ya should be thanking me. I was just protecting yers and everyone elses' ass from being ogled by this _queer_ over here."

"Yeesh. You need to chill." Mathias responded, not one bit disturbed at the prospect. "If someone's checking me out then I'd be pleased. It just means my looks are dashing enough to catch someone's eye."

"Ugh! What's wrong with ya people? It's only a good thing when a girl's doin' it! When ya get looked at by a guy, that's just nasty!"

"I don't see what the problem is." Mathias gave a shrug. "Besides, You probably won't have much to worry about." A devious grin brushed his lips as he took on a different approach to handle the dilemma. "Your features are barely average. However that terrible personality of yours just about ruins everything." He cocked his head before adding. "And the only girl you'll ever get a second glance from is your mother. Or a hooker, if you're willing to pay her your life savings."

The tactic appeared favorable as the room filled with a series of snickers.

"Why ya little..." Johnny's face streaked with anger upon hearing the remarks. His cheeks burned bright red as he stumbled over his words. Clenching his fists, he stood almost petrified in position until his rage boiled over. In a feverous fit, he turned to the other occupants in the room. "Shut up! All of you! Shut the fuck up!" His breath quickened, until it held the same pretense as a hyperventilation attack.

"I can get any fucking chick I want! Just watch! I'll outscore ya'll combined!" The effort deemed useless as the snickers turned into full on laughter at the unfledged hissy fit.

"Ya know what? I don't care!" Johnny routed, slamming his feet hard enough against the closest locker that it left a sizable dent. His last ditch effort to save face proved trivial again, only increasing the roars from the crowd. "Fuck you all!"

Clasping his hands over his head, Johnny's face contorted into a grisly mask of rancor. At the current hopeless state of his dignity, it seemed he was finally prepared to quit. With is teeth gritted in malicious spite, he continued to desecrate anything in his path, whilst storming towards the exit. "Ya'll nuthin' but a buncha faggy lovers!" he howled, before slamming the door behind him.

It took a couple minutes before the last of the cackling ceased. Among the commotion, Lukas was at a loss. Furrowing his brows, he contemplated on making his own escape, which he decided against moments after. The idea was silly, as he would lose what remainder time he had left to dress. For the meantime, he'd have to stay put.

Contrary to his semblance, Lukas was in no way upset over the bustle. In fact, it was quite the opposite. The ploy was brilliantly played and he had indeed been amused to see the bigoted menace humiliated with his own words. His problem had nothing to do with the prior situation or how it was handled. The root of his distress was the reigning hero of the conflict himself. Mathias Køhler, who to Lukas' fortune, was currently being swarmed by a horde of students on behalf of his deeds.

"Thank you so much!" Gushed Feliks, giving his savior a chaste hug. "That's like the coolest thing anyone's ever done for me!"

"The pleasure's mine." Mathias hummed, returning the embrace. "But most importantly, I'm glad you're okay."

Watching from afar, Lukas could have sworn there was light blush spreading across Feliks' face. _'Whatever.' _He rubbed his temples. _'Not that it's any of my business._' Averting his eyes, Lukas focused on the tasks forthcoming. He wasn't certain if there would be training on the first day. Nevertheless, it wasn't a bad idea to prepare.

In actuality, his mind was far from those thoughts. The drills were the least of his worries. What Lukas truly needed was to keep his focus off the boggling issue and to divert attention away from himself. The last thing he wanted was to be noticed by the current star of the room.

Then almost on cue, his luck ran out in the subsequent second. Lukas cursed at the impediment.

"Hey Matt! Glad you could make it!" Gilbert beamed, waving towards the Dane. "That was really awesome, by the way!"

"Of course, of course." Mathias spoke with a light chuckle. "That guy was really starting to piss me off, so I figured I'd _get him_ to piss off."

_'Great._' Lowering his head, Lukas heaved an inward sigh. Gilbert was causing him an excruciating amount of trouble. He then remembered why the Prussian seemed so familiar earlier. It was none other than the fact that Gilbert was _roommates_ with Mathias.

"Yeah totally!" The pasty haired man beckoned. "Oh, I almost forgot! Check out these two guys I found." Chewing his lower lip, Lukas knew the focus was being directed at himself and Tino. "They're from the North, just like you."

_'Shit.'_ Forget his previous reasoning. Lukas was going to leave. At the very least, he'd duck into a bathroom stall until the Dane was nowhere in sight. _'Yes. That was the only practical option left.'_ Pivoting his foot, Lukas was about to carry out the plans, when he realized it was a moment too late.

"Why hello there." Mathias gave a tender smile, holding his hand out in greeting.

Once again, Lukas found himself frozen in place as his eyes locked together with the Dane's alluring gaze.

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**Johnny is very lightly based on the Confederate States of America, if anyone is wondering. His name comes from Johnny Reb, who was a character in a comic strip back in the 50's. Thus said, I do not own the rights to his character. I also apologize if he was written in a way that's offensive to anyone from the Southern U.S. region...I'm really not trying to make fun of the accent or anything, but rather showing that he's just an uneducated individual in general - which is in no way a reflection of the lovely people from the area! Johnny should be the last non-canon character in this story. And don't worry, while he may show up again in the future, the only reason he's here is to be hated. I just didn't think any other character was fitting for the role of a homophobic bully. **** Here's a link to his wiki site if you're interested: wiki/Johnny_Reb**

**I made Mathias (Denmark) a bit different than how he's usually written. I know most authors tend to portray him as easy-going, happy, but a bit ruthless and absent-minded. He'll still keep most of the qualities, but will be a little lacking on the later, which I think will help explain Lukas' feelings better.**

**Also, if you've been wondering why Alfred, Matthew, Arthur, ect haven't shown up yet, since this story takes place in the U.S. and is closely interlinked with American history- they will, I promise. There is big role ahead for them, but it won't be for a while.**

**Prussia was disbanded in 1947 after WWII, and if Gilbert was born that year, he would be 18 in this story. **

**I added titles to my chapters and thought it would be creative to derive the titles from hit songs during the era the story takes place (60's and 70's). Most were chosen purely for their title, with little relevance to the context of the chapter, but some may hold some meaningful insights to the tone of the setting. Since the site isn't too supportive of linking sites in the story itself, I may compile a playlist on my profile if the demand is high enough, so do let me know if you're interested. **

**Finally, I was having a debate on how the other students would react to homophobic bullying. I figured given the time period, location, and their ages, the majority would be neutral to the cause, while a select few would be willing to stand up for those being harassed. Again, in the 60's attitudes on the topic were still very conservative but at the same time, it was the age of counterculture and liberalism. Since they are in San Francisco and at University, I figured it would be fitting to their actions.**

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_**Translations (all German):**_

_**dummes huhn - Dumb chicken **_

_**richtig - right?**_

_**Diese Wichser - Those wankers!**_

_**Schon - all right**_

**All taken off google translate. Feel free to correct them. **

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**Thanks again for those who subscribe/favorite/reviews. It keeps me motivated to write more! And if you can spare a moment, do leave a review and tell me what you enjoyed or how I can improve my writing :)**


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